BluegrassBulletin.com

Cannabis Oil Bill Passes House 98-0

When the Kentucky legislature does something right they need to be congratulated.  The Senate had previously passed the medical cannabis bill and now the house has passed it 98-0.  The bill will likely be signed by Governor Beshear.

It is high time the government stopped standing in the way of people using the natural environment and the plants and animals God gave us, particularly where the use of those herbs and natural products can heal us.

Thank you ladies and gentlemen.  You have gone a long way to relieving the suffering of many of your fellow countrymen. 

March Madness Political Spillover

It's madness I say!

Mitch McConnell put up an ad that wanted to showcase UK men's basketball celebrating a victory.  Ooops!  The 'vendor' used the wrong footage.  It was Duke players celebrating.

So Mitch's vendor quickly substituted footage of UK's Julius Randle.  Ooops!  UK sent him a cease and desist letter.  Seems that they did not have Randle's permission to use his image in a commercial AND the use of a college player in such fashion violates university rules.  The ad was taken down.

Oh, and while we are on the Ooops, how about the Ali-Ooops, as in the Ali Lundergan Grimes oops of having picked Wichita State to beat Kentucky Sunday (Kentucky won) and picking Florida to beat Louisville in the championship game?

It's madness I say!

Marijuana Bill Passes Ky. Senate

The medical marijuana bill legalizing studies at two Kentucky Universities with regard to the health benefits of marijuana oil has passed the Kentucky Senate and will likely pass the house.  Governor Beshear supported the measure and it will soon become the law in the Commonwealth.

It's about damned time. 

Depriving people access to a medicine that has been shown to ease their suffering because there has been a "stigma" attached to marijuana for decades was callous.  Thankfully the Kentucky legislature is about to take a very important step toward truly helping citizens rather than just the drug companies.

Kentucky Must Pass Medical Marijuana Bill

The evidence is in and the results are clear, marijuana provides significant health benefits to people when prescribed and monitored under a doctor's supervision. Any member of the Kentucky legislature who denies this health benefit to people in need needs to be un-elected.  Liberty and compassion are married in this bill.

The bill passed through the committee process but House Speaker Greg Stumbo says it might not get a vote in the full house.  What a crock.

The members of the House are elected by the people.  If a majority vote a measure up or down that action presumably represents the will of the people.  But to deny the people through their representatives the opportunity to vote on a bill is contrary to the entire democratic process.

Damon Thayer says even if the bill gets to the republican controlled Senate he thinks concerns over "abuse and recreational use" might kill it there.  Really?

There is "abuse and recreational use" of many medicines that I venture to say several members of the House and Senate take under their doctor's supervision to control their pain, to regulate their mood and to keep them from being embarrassed in bed.  Would they vote to make these medicines illegal or prevent new medicines with proven healing qualities from being prescribed in Kentucky?

What really motivates far too many legislators is not what is in the best interest of the public, but rather what they perceive to be in their best interest politically.  So it really depends upon who is whispering or shouting in their ears.

If you believe that the responsible and medically supervised use of marijuana will ease the pain and suffering of other human beings, then you should call today and let your legislators know: we want to help people and want you to pass the "Cannabis Compassion Act."  Here's how:

LEGISLATIVE MESSAGE LINE: 1-800-372-7181

LEGISLATORS EMAILS: CLICK HERE

1200 Fools Gather In Louisville

1200 people gathered in Louisville yesterday to be fooled into believing that a man who sexually violated his 20 year old intern and disgraced the Oval office was worthy of their time.  And what is worse, it appears that they were conned into giving money to Obama's next "reliable vote" by the cad.

Bill Clinton helped Alison Grimes rake together what in the final analysis could be just short of a million dollars, according to one democratic insider.  In addition, Clinton convinced the assembled "marks" that Alison has all the momentum in this race.

As time goes on the entire campaign of both Grimes and Matt Bevin boils down to a hatred of Mitch McConnell.  And for what?

He was hired to do a job, a specific job, and that was to serve as a check on the runaway liberal agenda, see that Kentucky was front and center when it came time for federal budget consideration and to enhance the image of a state which everywhere else in the nation is considered to be home to a bunch of corrupt backwoods politicians, barefoot hillbillies and black faced coal miners living in shacks on stilts in muddy snake infested mountains.

And McConnell has achieved everything we sent him to Washington to do, and more.

He is now the most prominent and powerful republican in our Commonwealth's history.  He has continued to see that Kentucky is a receiving state, that is we get back from Washington more money than we send there in taxes.

He has studied and mastered the rules of political engagement using them to advance the interests of Kentucky and stem the bleeding which would occur at the hands of an unchecked liberal president.

He voted the way Kentucky wanted him to vote until in the most recent days people started saying "No more spending."  In all the years he has been in office voters clearly wanted money for roads, bridges, factories, schools, universities and other government programs that helped the people of Kentucky.  The pop culture trend to despise those who spend federal money is a sea change from the world of just a few years ago.  To hate Mitch now for doing what we asked him to do then is just plain ignorant.

And clearly his class and calm demeanor has helped the image of Kentucky around the world.  The kind of snake handling, back slapping, tobacco spitting hick that most of the people of this country envision when they hear of Kentucky politicians dissolves when the success of Mitch McConnell is mentioned as a real life example in contrast to the fictional images they carry in their heads.

So, for all you who were fooled in Louisville to follow the lead of man who dishonored our country, cheated on his wife in public office, was impeached by Congress, disbarred as an attorney and has been accused of rape like conduct by many women, admit to your debauchery.

And to you republicans out there who still think that Mitch has to go because ......well......he voted for spending, put down the bong and back away.  We sent him there and told him what we wanted.  He delivered what we wanted.  The fact that you now want something else doesn't support your argument that he has to go.

In fact, if you were honest about it, looking for example at his support for the hemp initiative and other measures supported by Rand Paul, it looks like Mitch is more than willing to listen to what you want and to use his superior skills to deliver it to you, something Bevin could never offer.

And to the rest of you conservatives who think that somehow not supporting Mitch shows how truly conservative you are, consider this, once again.

Michelle Obama took the stage at 12:42 p.m. inside a softly lit ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan for a women-themed fund-raiser benefitting the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

The ballroom had about 25 tables, with several female senators and three Senate candidates in attendance. Candidates included Michelle Nunn in Georgia, Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky and Natalie Tennant in West Virginia.

Obama spoke about the importance of electing a Congress to support her husband, alluded to the government shutdown, and invoked the narrow margin in the Senate to encourage the crowd to "max out."

"And let's not forget about that common-sense gun legislation, that so many of us feel so strongly about. Sadly as you know, that bill failed. Anyone know by how many votes? It failed by just six votes in the Senate. Six. So make no mistake about it: the midterm elections, they matter. They matter."

Obama said there was something the crowd could do to make a "huge difference."

"And it's simple, you can write a big ol' fat check," she said. [Capitol New York]

Read that over and over to everyone who will listen. 

Michelle Obama has singled out Alison Lundergan Grimes as a reliable vote for Barack Obama's agenda, including gun legislation.

It's just what our former adulterer in chief told people in Louisville.  "Follow me.  Write a check so Alison can help Obama."

Don't be fooled by disgusting Bill Clinton who left semen on a young female employees dress.  And don't be fooled by his "Scarlet Letter Tour". 

What he is up to is helping Obama get more votes in Congress and removing the most effective check on that runaway power Kentucky has ever sent to Washington DC.

I ain't fooled, are you?

Should Convicted Felons Be Permitted To Vote?

It is a particular bugaboo with me.  I am pretty dogmatic when it comes to debate.  I firmly believe that it is essential for every participant to agree upon the meaning of every word and concept before being required to discuss it.  So, for the sake of accuracy, let us start with the definition of "felon".

A convicted felon is a person who has a criminal record of having been found guilty, or having pled guilty, to a criminal offense defined by the state in which the conviction took place as a "felony", or a person who has a record of having been convicted of or having pled to a criminal offense defined by the federal government as a "felony".  Therefore, the first step in this debate is to examine what is and what is not a felony.  I will confine my discussion to felonies arising under Kentucky law. 

In Kentucky a "felony" is defined as an offense for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment of at least one (1) year in the custody of the Department of Corrections may be imposed.

How many persons alive today in Kentucky have a criminal record which contains a "felony"?  According to a study based upon 2010 data the number of Kentuckians with felony convictions was 243,842.  However, this included people currently in prison, currently on parole or probation or serving their sentences in local jails.

Of the total number of people with felony convictions, according to the study 180,984 of those people were classified as "ex-felons".  Of course since a felony conviction is for life (except in the case of a pardon) no one is likely to be an "ex-felon" who was included in this number.

Now, let's examine the kinds of things that can result in a felony conviction.

Bouncing a check for more than $100 was at one time a felony.  Finding and keeping lost property worth more than $500 is a felony.  Using your mother's car without her permission a second time can be a felony.  And over the years, as the legislature has modified the marijuana laws to the point where it is now legal in many states, many people in Kentucky have felony records as a result of conduct which in today's world would be nothing more than a misdemeanor.

Many people with felony records had those crimes added to their history when they were in their teens.  Some of those folks are now in their retirement years having lived long, rewarding, prosperous lives without another blemish.

So the question which the people of Kentucky may have to face when considering whether to amend the Constitution will certainly not be fully described in any language chosen by the legislature.

Which is just one example of why, when you hear any politician trying to score points by raising his/her rhetoric to a fever pitch, you should first insist that they define their terms.

And though I said I was going to limit my discussion to "felonies" as defined by Kentucky law, as we all know some states have made the possession of certain firearms, and ammunition magazines felonies.  According to the federal courts, Kentucky may be required to give those convictions full faith and credit. 

Should a young woman who bounced a check for $100 when she was in college and had no money to fight the charge so instead pled guilty be punished the rest of her life with all the baggage attendant to being a felon?

It's worth a closer look than you will likely get from the discussions now underway.

Related articles

Paul Pressing to Restore Felons' Voting Rights

17 Years In Prison For Fetal Homicide In Kentucky, Never For Abortion

Obama Takes It To McConnell At Home

Don't think for one minute that Barack Obama wouldn't like to have complete control of the government.  He said as much in his speech last night vowing to take action with or without Congress.  But to make the point even more emphatically he gave a shout out to Democrat Steve Beshear in Mitch McConnell's home state.

Mitch has been the single most effective check on a runaway Obama administration and anything the president can do to elevate Kentucky democrats in his effort to defeat McConnell and replace him with Alison Lundergan Grimes, who the FLOTUS has already dubbed "a reliable vote" for their plans to fundamentally transform America, he's going to do.

I mean come on, you don't really think that patting Beshear on the head was a sincere gesture of accomplishment now do you?  Beshear did fall in line right behind Obama on the socialized medicine plan, but spreading favor to Kentucky has much more to do with helping clear the field for his next three years than raising the political capital of a lame duck governor.

Pay attention folks.  The president wants complete control and he won't get it as long as we have Mitch in office.  Like it or not, no one else on the R side or the D side of the ticket can possibly be as effective, and that's just a fact.

Kenton JE Arlinghaus In Another Jam

Controversy over travel expenses as well as an attempt by some Cincinnati Airport Board members to fire an employee have involved Kenton County Judge Executive Steve Arlinghaus in a mess just as he is about to face a primary challenge from Kris Knochelmann, one of the county commissioners.  Now another issue has popped up.

Arlinghaus decided to send out a newsletter purporting to be from the county "explaining" the airport  issues without the input of other commissioners which has now raised questions whether his motive was to illegally use county resources to further his campaign.

Commissioner Beth Sewell objected to the newsletter on the grounds that it appeared to be the position of the entire fiscal court, when in fact there was no consultation with them before Arlinghaus delivered the piece to the public.

“I expressed in the email that I didn’t believe that we probably should be printing something with these opinions in it under the heading of the fiscal court because we, specifically, the fiscal court, do not make policies (regarding) that board,” Sewell said. “We (as a fiscal court) do not (appoint) any of the board members. And yet, it appears that the article represents the thoughts of all of us.” [NKy.com]

But Jon Draud, another of the three commissioners, said that his friends at his country club didn't see anything politically wrong with the publication.

“My friends at Five Seasons ... thought it was very helpful from a historical point of view,” Draud said. “I never even thought about it in a political context.” [NKy.com]

So far the primary race between has been based upon a lot of finger pointing at Arlinghaus over the Airport Board issues.  His decision to publish a newsletter article addressing these criticisms on the county dime without consulting his fiscal court members may not have violated any laws, but it clearly violated the unwritten rule of politics: never hand you opponent an issue that opens you to an attack.

For that reason alone, Arlinghaus is in another jam.

Thank You Barack For Slapping The Hillbilly Sticker On Eastern Kentucky Again

I am aghast.  Barack Obama announces a big federally funded program to help the po' folks around the country and on any other day, in this political climate, Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell would be railing against runaway spending, "great society" programs and creating greater dependence on government.

But, because a chunk of the money is coming to Eastern Kentucky they stand up and cheer, along side the president, in the White House.  It's not that I have any personal position on the program it's just that my exposure to politics over such a long time has once again confirmed my belief that little of what politicians say they stand against they wouldn't lie down for at the right price. (Yes, that association was intentional)

So what did the Obama cash for Kentucky do in the media?  Re-awakened LBJ's photo op on the front porch of Tom Fletcher's cabin in Martin County and start the discussion of how poor and impoverished the people of Kentucky are.  Just take a look at some of the words written in response to this newly announced program published in the National Review:

"There are lots of diversions in the Big White Ghetto, the vast moribund matrix of Wonder Bread–hued Appalachian towns and villages stretching from northern Mississippi to southern New York, a slowly dissipating nebula of poverty and misery with its heart in eastern Kentucky, the last redoubt of the Scots-Irish working class that picked up where African slave labor left off, mining and cropping and sawing the raw materials for a modern American economy that would soon run out of profitable uses for the class of people who 500 years ago would have been known, without any derogation, as peasants. Thinking about the future here and its bleak prospects is not much fun at all, so instead of too much black-minded introspection you have the pills and the dope, the morning beers, the endless scratch-off lotto cards, healing meetings up on the hill, the federally funded ritual of trading cases of food-stamp Pepsi for packs of Kentucky’s Best cigarettes and good old hard currency, tall piles of gas-station nachos, the occasional blast of meth, Narcotics Anonymous meetings, petty crime, the draw, the recreational making and surgical unmaking of teenaged mothers, and death: Life expectancies are short — the typical man here dies well over a decade earlier than does a man in Fairfax County, Va. — and they are getting shorter, women’s life expectancy having declined by nearly 1.1 percent from 1987 to 2007.

If the people here weren’t 98.5 percent white, we’d call it a reservation."

Great.

We finally achieved some serious clout in Washington DC with the power of Mitch McConnell.  We finally proved that we are capable of thinking outside the box with the ascendancy of Rand Paul and his brand of "new think".  And we finally captured back to back basketball championships in the NCAA and look what Barack Obama has done with the stroke of a pen.

It's back to possum holler.

Oh, and for you Republicans who can still think, don't let this one slip past you.  There is a US Senate race in Kentucky this year and the lady challenging the republican just might need some more votes out of the mountains than the hands of the republican power brokers in that part of the Commonwealth would ever deliver to her. 

Think, think, think.  Her buddy Barack just opened the door for her there.

Medical Marijuana In Kentucky?

One state after another has begun the process of legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.  Other states, persuaded that there are tangible medical benefits from marijuana, are permitting its consumption to treat a variety of health issues.  This year the Kentucky legislature is being pushed to pass a medical marijuana bill.

A hearing before the House Committee assigned the duty to consider the bill was packed.  Emotional testimony came from people who had been helped by marijuana when no other medical treatment was effective.

Testimony from others told of how, in Colorado for example, marijuana extracts helped seizure victims communicate with their families.

The following video shows a woman, plagued by cerebral palsy and severe stuttering, regain her ability to speak only because she was able to consume marijuana.  Examples like this are going to be part of the discussion as Kentucky becomes one of the many states wrestling with whether to allow people to consume this plant to treat their afflictions.